Collar-button.



No. 658,693. Patented Supt. 25, |900.

L. C. WITKDWS'KI.

COLLAR BUTTUN.

(Appli-cation mea mar. 1o, 1990A ,(NO Model.)

me Nonms Prrzns co, mmsmma. WASHINGTON, n. c.

Nrrnn l STAT-ns PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS O. WITKOWSKI, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

COLLAR-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,693, dated September 25, 1900. Application filed March 10. 1900. Serial No. 8,225. (No model-l To all whom, t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs C. WITKoWsKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in th e District of Oolumbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collar-Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to collar-buttons and it has for its object the production of such a button which when applied through the buttonhole of a shirt-band can be be readily caused to engage the buttonhole on one side of the collar, and by revolving the button by means of a peculiarly-constructed lever-arm provided on the shank of the button, which arm is extended through said buttonhole, one end of the collar Will be drawn and secured into place, and by passing said lever arm through the buttonhole provided in the other end of the collar and revolving said lever-arm in the same direction said end of the collar will be brought over into its proper position and held in place. By this construction and arrangement a very stiff collar, or one which fits the shirt very tightly, can be secured in position with great facility and Without the usual difficulties and annoyances experienced in applying such collars to collar-buttons of ordinary construction.

In carrying out these objects my invention i consists of a collar-button constructed With a suitable base and shank and an arm extending substantially at a right angle to said shank, which arm, in addition to forming a head for the shank, is suitably curved and of such length as to enable it'to be readily passed through the buttonhole of the shirt-band and y then through the buttonhole provided in one end of the collar, and by revolving said lever- 'arm bring said end of the collar into place and then be passed through the buttonhole on the other side or end of the collar and by continuing to revolve said lever-arm in the saine direction to bring said end of the collar into proper position, the ends of the collar, in the act of revolving the lever-arm, causing the buttonholes therein to ride or move upon said lever-arm as if spirally fed, so that when the lever-arm has completed its revolution both endsof the collar will be locked in position around the shank of the button.

The invention also consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and' arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed, as Well as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l isa perspective View of a portion of a shirt and collar, showing one end of the latter engaged by the lever-arm of my improved collar-button as the same Would appear just before being revolved to bring this end ofthe collar into proper position. Fig. 2 is asimilar view,butshowing both ends of the collar and the lever-arm passed entirely through one buttonhole and first engaging the buttonhole of the other end of the collar, the left-hand end of the collar having been drawn into place, the right-hand end being represented as it appears when first engaged by the lever-arm. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing both ends of the collar brought into proper position and held in place by my improved button. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of my improved button. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a slightly-modified construction. Fig. 7 is a top plan View of the button constructed from a single piece of Wire, and Fig. S is a side elevation of the same.

As is well known and as many have experienced, it is very difficult often to apply a tightly-fitting collar to a shirt-band With the use of ordinary collar-buttons, and the same difficulty and annoyance is frequently experienced with collars which are not necessarily tight, but which are stifiy laundered, owing to the fact that the buttonholes in the ends of the collars have to be brought into line with the head of the collar-button before they can be passed over the saine, which cannot be done without considerable wear on the collar and injury to the buttonholes and often soiling of the collar. With my present invention these objections are overcome.

l in the drawings represents the base of the button, which may be constructed in any suitable manner and which is provided with a shank 2, preferably round in cross-section to facilitate the revolution of the button in the ,buttonhole To the outer end of the shank is applied an arm 3, Which extends at sub- IOO stantiallya right-angle to the shank and is curved and comparatively long to form a lever-operating arm. The arm preferably tapers from its connection with the shank to its outer end, at which end it is preferably formed with an engaging head 4 and is turned slightly upward. The arm4 not only forms a head for the shank of the button, but a convenient means of readily revolving the button for bringing the ends of the collar together, as will be hereinafter more fully described, the said head being ot' peculiar shape for this purpose, so that when said arm is passed through a buttonhole in the end of the collar and is turned it will act as a sort of spiralto draw the collar into place and at the same time cause the buttonhole to slip and snap into place around the shank of the button, Where it will be held in place by the said arm. This will be true of both ends of the collar when the button is applied thereto and the lever-arm revolves. By providing the end of, the lever-handle withY the head i the end of the collar will be engaged by said head, as clearly shown in full lines in Figs. l and 2, and will be retained by said head without requiring to be held by the fingers, so that the end of the collar will not always be slipping o as fast as the lever-arm is passed through the buttonhole, so that if the fingers of the operatorshould be momentarily removed the end of the collar would still be held, as shown in Figs. l and 2.' By grasping the head of the lever and revolving said lever the collar will be drawn to place and held in position after the bnttonbole has engaged the shank of the button and is below the lever-arm. When both ends of the collar have' been brought together and secured in position around the shirt-band, the collar and button will appear as shown in Fig. 3. When it is desired to remove the collar, it can be readily accomplished by turning the lever-handle backward, the ends of the collar almost springing olf as the tension is released, caused by revolving the lever-handle backward.

In Fig. '7 I have shown a slightly-modified construction in manufacturing the button, in which construction the button is made from a single piece of wire to form the base 5, the shank 6, and the lever-arm 8. The button shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is of substantially the same shape as that shown in the other ligures, with the exception that the lever-arm is formed by looping the wire, by which construction a space 8 is secured, which may be found nseful'for receivingand holding the band of a necktie and serve as a necktie-retainer.

The button is very simple in its construction and operation and can be produced at a comparatively-low price, and in addition to possessing all the functions of an ordinary collar-button has those which are not pos sessed by such buttons, such as have been enumerated in the foregoing specification.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly-modied construction of the solid-metal button shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this ligure the head 8 is inclosed within an outside head 9 by turning the edges of the latter head over, as at 10; but said edges are not pressed down hard upon the head 8, but sufficient space is left to allow the said head carrying the shank and lever-arm to revolve within the same. By

this construction and arrangementwhen the saidlever-handle is revolved the outside head 9 will remain stationary, thus avoiding any friction or wearing action of the outside head upon the shirt-band and enabling the said lever-handle to be more readily turned.

The shank or stem 2 of the button is preferably formed on or attached to the leverarm to one side of the center of its width, as shown at l1 in dotted lilies in Fig. 4-that is, it is eccentric thereto-by which construction and arrangement the end of the collar can be more readily drawn into place and its passage onto the shank or stem of the button facilitated. By not only forming the leverarm Bof the button curved, but having its outer end extended slightly upward in the form of a spiral, the passage of the ends of said lever-arm through the buttonhole and the gliding of the collar on the same into its position around the stem or shank of the button is greatly facilitated.

Some people desire to wear tightly-fitting collars-that is, collars of the same size as the shirt and not one-half a size larger, as is now frequently done, owing to the diiiculty in fastening such size collars. The lever-handle on my collar-button being comparatively long would extend t-o the buttonhole of a tightly-fitting collar and can be readily passed through the same,and by giving it a half-revolution it can be drawn into place and the collar fastened securely on the button, as heretofore explained,without necessitating the operator forcing the collar-button out from behind by placing the finger of his left hand back of said button and holding the hand in such position until the collar is completely fastened, and also using the finger-nails to force the lever-handle of the button through the buttonhole, as is frequently done in applying an ordinary collar-button to tightly-fitting collars.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed vas new, .and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. As an improved article of manufacture,

a collar-button which is rigid throughout, and,

which consists of a' suitable base, a vertical shank, and a comparatively-narrow laterallyprojecting Vlever-arm which is substantially oval in cross-section, and which extends from the shank on substantially the same radial line nearly its entire length, and has its outer end turned upwardly, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture,

a collar-button comprising in its construction IOC a suitable base, a vertical shank, and a leverarm which extends from said shank substantially in the same radial line nearlyits entire length, and has its outer end turned upwardly in a spiral manner to facilitate the engagement of the buttonhole of a collar and the passage of a collar onto the shank of the button, substantially as described.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a collar-button comprising a suitable base, a vertical shank,and alever-armwhich extends from the shank at substantially a right angle thereto in the same radial line nearly its entire length, the outer end of said arm being turned upwardly, and the arm taperingfrom its inner to its outer end, substantially as described.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a collar-button comprising in its construction a suitable base, avertical shank, and a single lever-arm which extends from the shank in substantially7 the same radial line, and which has its outer end curved upwardly and spirally and provided with an engaging head, substantially as described.

'5. AS an improved article of manufacture, a collar-button comprising in its construction a base, a shank and a lever-arm, which latter extends from the shank in substantially the same radial line nearly its entire length, said arm being constructed with a passage or opening to receive and retain a portion of a necktie, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

LOUIS C. WITKOWSKI.

Witnesses:

EDWARD T. FENwIoK, EDGAR M. KITCHIN. 

